WesternSpeedway 08-19-06

Montgomery Dominates Daffodil Cup

    “Sometimes you forget why you climb into the truck every week and travel so far from home and your family, to lose.”  Said Jeff Montgomery, just minutes after he was reminded why he makes the long trips.  It is in search of that one big win, which couldn’t have come at a better time, for the man off the island.  Montgomery has made 100% of the ASA/NSRA shows this year and so many times has come close to winning a race, but last night in front of his home crowd and his family Montgomery put on a driving clinic for everyone in attendance.  He moved from his ninth starting position up to second very quickly, and he patiently waited as the race leader Randy Price used up his tire sliding the car sideways since the beginning of the race.  Montgomery saw his window of opportunity and stripped the lead right out from under Price.
   
    Ralph Deaver jumped out to an early lead and wasted no time showing the way, but Ralph Deaver would be challenged early.  Randy Price made a dash to the front and went to work on Ralph Deaver, making a sliding pass to the outside for the lead.  Price would have to move back to second due to a caution and the fact that they had not completed a full lap with him in the lead.  Ralph Deaver got an incredible jump on the restart and quickly built a four-car lead on Price.  Price slowly worked his way to the rear bumper of Ralph Deaver and again looked the outside, this time Price would not be denied the lead.  Just laps after Price had taken the lead, Craig Deaver got into the back of Monte Zema Jr. and spun him around, both drivers were sent to the back of the field.

    On the restart Price shot off like a bullet down the front stretch and into turn one, Ralph Deaver was being challenged for second by Montgomery who made the pass in turn three for second.  Montgomery had his eyes set on the lead and with Price using all of his tire early in the race it was merely a waiting game for Montgomery.  Ralph would continue dropping as the back of the field moved to the front, Jimmy Pelk, Darren Yates and Scott Aumen were all on the move with Yates traveling from the farthest back.  Yates was unable to transfer from the heat race and would have to go through the B-main, putting him in the back of the A-main.  That could not discourage Yates as he moved very quickly and very swiftly from his fourteenth starting position to the front.  Jake “Mad” Mann was another who had a long road through the B-main but you would have never known it as he made a quick dash to the front, as did the young Justin Mack.

    Craig Deaver started making his way back towards the front after being sent to the back, when more bad luck struck.  Mike Basher and Kyle Vantreight touched tires and tangled cars and both ended up in the turn one wall with Basher’s car sitting sideways on Vantreight’s car.  This brought out the first and only red flag of the night, when the cars came to a complete stop, Deaver realized he had a flat tire.  He was pushed into the pits where he changed tires, sending him to the back for the restart.

    The front was Montgomery, Price, Aumen and Yates.  All four were fast and all four wanted nothing more than to win, but Montgomery was much the fastest of the four.  “I was just glad I had done a good job of saving my tire,” said Montgomery.  He shot out of turn four on the restart and would never be challenged for the lead.  Behind him Aumen had moved to second around Price, Yates also looked for a way around Price.  Both were sideways through all four turns and smoke was billowing out from the rear tires.  Pelk was looking for a way to sneak into the battle but had his hands full with the “Mad” Mann, and Mack was behind him looking for a pass.  Craig Deaver made his way up to ninth in the final ten laps.  Andy Alberding, who entered the night second in points, would be plagued with bad luck all night and the main event would be no exception.  Alberding qualified his worst in a long time, in thirteenth would then go on to the heat were he was unable to transfer to the A-main, then in the B-main he was on the bump the entire race.  Alberding would start in the back of the A-main and slowly make his way forward a few cars before finally being passed by a few cars then with just laps remaining, Gord Smith ran Alberding off the track in turn three.  Alberding kept the car going, but was forced to the back, Gord Smith continued in position.

    Dan Fisher who transferred from the B-main would not be able to run in the A-main, due to breaking a rocker arm, giving Ray Jones the final spot in the A-main.  Jones would finish the A-main in fifteenth giving him the lucky dog finishing spot, he drew the Jim Utt’s lucky number finishing spot for the one hundred dollars.

    Jeff Montgomery would go on to capture his first ASA/NSRA victory, followed by fellow Canadian driver Scott Aumen, Randy Price, Darren Yates, Jimmy Pelk, Jake “Mad” Mann, Justin Mack, Pat Bliss, Craig Deaver and Gord Smith would round out the top ten.